Quiet Whispers
by SparklyTree3876
Summary: Set during X1. Jean looked down at Logan while running her hand along his forehead. She couldn't get the Liberty Island incident out of her mind and wasn't sure what might come of it. This is a glimpse into her thoughts while watching over Logan.


Quiet Whispers  
By SparklyTree3876

Rating: PG

Genre: General/Drama

Pairing: Logan/Marie (implied)

Author's Notes: Hi, everyone. Welcome to another one of my X-Men movieverse one shots. This time, it is set during X1 and focuses on Jean's thoughts in regards to the Liberty Island incident. It has a connection to "Never an Absolution" in taking place the day after, and a few things from that one shot are mentioned in here. I did this one shot because I wondered what Jean might have been thinking in regards to Liberty Island. I also wanted to portray her in a positive light because I've seen her bashed once too many times, and I am tired of it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one shot. Constructive criticism is welcome.

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I look down at Logan while running my hand along his forehead. I hear the steady beeps of the heart monitor and the sound of the oxygen tank that is pumping oxygen into his lungs. They seem more like quiet whispers in my mind, as I am more focused on wondering when he will wake up. It feels as if time is crawling so slowly that it seems it isn't going anywhere. In a situation like this, it often does and leads to feelings of anxiety. I can understand being anxious about an uncertain situation, but I know from experience that you can't let your anxieties control you. Anxiety can keep you from getting far in life, and that's something no one should have to deal with.

My teammates and I went with Logan to rescue Marie from Magneto four nights ago, as he was planning to use her to power his mutant machine. Its radiation didn't affect mutants, but it killed ordinary humans by forcefully putting the mutant gene into their bodies, causing them to mutate rapidly. It killed Senator Kelly after he came to us for help. This mission was successful, but Logan was seriously hurt when he allowed Marie to absorb his healing ability to save her life. I've been watching over him since we got home, only taking breaks to get something to eat or rest a while. What he did took a great deal of courage, and I admire him for that. From experience, I know courage doesn't mean you aren't scared. It just means you're facing your fears.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about the Liberty Island incident. I can't believe all those millions of people were so close to dying. I understand Magneto's hostility toward them because of the death of his family at the hands of Nazis, but he's allowed his hate to consume him so much that he's no longer the man I knew from when I was a child. He and the professor gave me a home when my parents feared I might become a target for harassment because of my powers. He always comforted me when I had nightmares. He even taught me how to ride a horse when I learned the mansion had a stable filled with them, and I mentioned to him that I'd always wanted to ride one, but I couldn't because I lived in a suburb.

Unfortunately, Magneto's desire to use forceful methods to deal with humanity's hostility toward mutants and Charles's desire to seek peace between the races formed a rift in their friendship. As a result, he decided to leave. I remember feeling my heart sink when I found him packing his things. I begged him not to leave. He told me he was sorry, but he couldn't stay. He said he wasn't sure where he would go, but he hoped he'd find a place where he belonged. He told me he'd miss me and held me for the longest time. The next morning, I watched him leave with heartache, and he never looked back or turned around. That memory has stuck in my mind ever since. I pity Magneto because of what he has become, and he'll never be the man he used to be.

The scariest thing about this situation is I don't know what might come of the Liberty Island incident. So many questions are running through my mind because of this uncertain situation. Will normal society become even more hostile toward mutants? Will there be an increase in anti-mutant protests? Will there be threats of violence against mutants? The uncertainty scares me, and it's like you can't even move, breathe, or think about anything, except you don't know what might happen. The best we can do in an uncertain situation is wait and hope that things will turn out all right.

I remember how quiet the flight to Liberty Island was. We were focused on getting there as quickly as we could. I felt Logan's tenseness during the entire trip. I didn't blame him because I was just as tense as he was. I didn't want anything to happen to Marie. Neither did he. Marie ran away from home because she feared hurting people. She found solace in Logan because he knew what it was like to feel alone in the world, and he helped her to see that someone would always understand what she was going through.

I have to say that the battle at Liberty Island was the most intense I'd faced in a long time. My adrenaline was running very high when I was facing down Toad. I got really scared when he spit slime into my face, and I couldn't breathe or get it off. I kept thinking about Marie and wondered if we would get to her in time. I also thought about how scared she probably was being held captive by Magneto and the Brotherhood and what she might have been thinking about when they brought her here. I was relieved when Scott got the slime off my face and found myself able to breathe again.

I can never forget the look in Magneto's eyes when I told him Senator Kelly was dead, and Ororo said all those people were about to die at his hand. He didn't believe us, and what was worse was the look was cold and remorseless. He didn't care he was about to kill Marie. All he cared about was turning those people into mutants. My heart ached for Marie when I heard her crying for help. I felt so helpless to do anything for her. I actually wanted to break down right there, but I kept myself together. If there's one thing I know, it's that breaking down when you feel helpless doesn't solve anything. You have to stay strong for yourself and keep hoping you'll find a way out when you're trapped. It may take many tries, but part of achieving success is going through failure.

I remember my heart pounding when I watched Logan try to get to Marie. I kept wondering if he'd succeed. I was relieved he did after Scott got Magneto out of the way with an optic blast. I recall Marie looking toward the back of the Blackbird, where I was watching over Logan. I didn't even have to use my telepathy to see that she cared deeply for him. All I had to do was look into her eyes. Like her, I had grown to care for Logan during his first few days at the mansion. Despite his grumpiness, he does have a gentle, caring side to him. He did volunteer to go after Marie, despite the risk he could miss her completely. When you care about someone, you'll do whatever you can to keep them safe.

Marie has come down to the infirmary to visit Logan several times since we brought him home. During one visit, she stayed for a few hours, talking to him and encouraging him to keep fighting. Her voice was very loving as I listened to it, and it made me feel warm inside. I have to say that she seems to be quite taken with him. When Ororo visited yesterday, I mentioned that to her, and she agreed. She mentioned she saw Marie make brief eye contact with him that day in her class when she came to see him a few hours ago. She said it seemed like her eyes were fixed on his, and nothing else mattered to her. I wonder if Marie has more than just a crush on him. I guess only time will tell.

I take Logan's hand into mine and say a little prayer for him. I whisper for him to keep fighting and not give up. I hope things will be okay in regards to the Liberty Island incident, though I don't know if they will. I don't know if there will ever be peace between mutants and humans, but I'm willing to work for it. Like most people, I dream of a world where there is no violence, hate, prejudice, or indifference. I know it'll be difficult to achieve peace, but it's possible if we're all willing to work together.

Sometimes, I hate the fighting because of the loss of innocent lives, but I know we have to fight because there will always be people who will do whatever it takes to keep peace between mutants and humans from becoming a reality. Obstacles can seem so large that they are impossible to overcome, but we can if we have hope and try our hardest to beat them. Even if we don't succeed, other people will take up the work. Just one person can have a great impact on the entire world. Change can be good in many cases. Most of all, there's always a light in a seemingly endless tunnel of darkness.

THE END


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